Gingerbread
Packed with your favorite holiday spices, this classic Gingerbread recipe is a holiday comfort food!
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Time warp: 1988. “Kids, dinner’s ready!” Slow movement to turn off the Nintendo, uh I mean put away the math homework, and make my way down to the dining room. “And there’s gingerbread for dessert!” Like a flash of lightning, I’m downstairs sitting at the table ready for dinner. I even helped set the table and got drinks for everyone in that 3.7 seconds it took me to get there.
Needless to say, these nights ranked among my favorites when I was a kid. I didn’t care what we had for dinner. I’d clean my plate if there was the promise of gingerbread to come. Peas, squash, green beans…it didn’t matter. That plate was so clean it could have just gone right back into the cabinet. (Funny enough, I’m now a huge fan of peas, squash and green beans. I credit my love for veggies back to this recipe!)
Several years ago, I made Gingerbread Cookies, and they were awesome! My wife liked ’em, but one cookie or one piece is enough for her. (That’s ok, it just means more for me.) But I realized recently that I’ve never shared a recipe for just plain ole classic Gingerbread.
Gingerbread
This recipe is a winner, y’all! It’s easy to mix together and toss in the oven for a tasty weeknight dessert. And thanks to all of the warming spices, it’s perfect along with a cup of coffee by a roaring fireplace in the winter. This may very well be one of my all-time favorite comfort food desserts!
This year, I’ve decided that Santa gets too many cookies. That’s it. No cookies for you this year, Santa. It’s cold out there, and you have a lot of work to do. You clearly need this instead! Heck, take a piece for Rudolph while you’re at it…I’m sure he would enjoy it, too.
If you make this recipe, make sure to swing back and leave a comment! Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Looking for more tasty gingerbread recipes? Check out some of my other favorites!
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Pound Cake
Gingerbread Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Gingerbread
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 4 oz. unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup dark molasses
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- {Optional for garnish} Powdered sugar
- {Optional for serving} Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8” square pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter and molasses. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients; stir until well combined.
- Whisk together the remaining ingredients (buttermilk, egg, water and vanilla). Pour this into the bowl with the other ingredients; stir until well combined. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
- Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
- {Optional} Dust top of cake with powdered sugar. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Would you believe I have never had a piece of gingerbread?!!! I’m not certain how that can be. I think I’d better change that quick! It looks marvelous! Time to get baking.
Oh my gosh! Kathy! Gingerbread is seriously one of my favorite cakes…especially during the holidays. I love all of the warming spices in there. Definitely whip up a batch sometime this year…it’s super easy to make!
Wow, Nintendo. That brings back memories. I used to sneak it when I was supposed to be doing HW, too. Not sorry!
And it’s cool that you had a baking mom. Mine didn’t do that so much, which is probably why I bake all the time now. Your gingerbread looks perfect! It’s definitely the best part of the meal!
Hahaha sounds like we were two peas in a pod, Mir! I remember playing Mario like it was my job. And I remember begging my grandma to watch me play when she came to visit. Can you imagine how boring that must have been for her?? Happy holiday baking!
Hahaha – I gotta say, your parents are brilliant! They got you to become a fan of peas, squash and green beans by simply dangling gingerbread in front of you! I love the sound of this gingerbread, David – all those spices and molasses makes it hard to eat just one slice/piece! Mrs. Spiced is a keeper – I need to find me someone who’d eat just ONE PIECE of chocolate cake and let me have the rest!
My mom used to dangle chocolate cake, rainbow cake, cashew cake, Christmas cake (once a year) and date cake in front of us – but then again, she curried all her veggies so I grew up loving them AND dessert!
I’m not sure if my parents really planned to get me to like peas, squash and beans…or if the whole thing backfired when they realized how addicted I was to gingerbread! 🙂 One piece of chocolate cake? psshh…good luck on that. I think everyone loves chocolate! The alternative is just to bake 2 chocolate cakes, right? 🙂
This bread is so perfect for the holidays David, bet it smelled amazing!!
Oh my gosh, the house smelled delicious while this was baking! Thanks so much, Manali!
Ahhh!! This is so sweet! What a fun, nostalgic treat! I’m all about that balanced life! SO extra veggies followed by some cake is definitely the way to go! YUM! This recipe looks amazing btw! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
I’m with ya, Cailee! We try to be pretty balanced over here, too. Like a cookie in one hand and a piece of gingerbread in the other. Haha! I totally kid! Gingerbread is an excellent treat after you’ve been good and eaten your veggies, though! 🙂
I wanted to make a gingerbread for Christmas, but it was voted off the island. So I’ve been striking back with creating oatmeal-gingerbread cookies. I recently tried a version with fresh grated ginger. Yum! But all of this because I’m craving gingerbread! You pictures have me drooling. (Although you can put 10 times more whipped cream on mine, thank you.)
Wait, gingerbread was voted off the island?? Clearly whoever voted against gingerbread needs to be voted off the island themselves. Or at least they need to spend a day swimming with electric eels, piranhas and crocodiles as punishment. I’ve been meaning to try and recreate this bread we ate in Belgium that had tons of fresh ginger grated into it. It was like gingerbread, but not. Thanks for the reminder!
Hi David! Gingerbread recipes have been on my mind lately (along with dozens of others)! This looks so moist and delicious! I would add some chopped dates, just because I love dates, and use sorghum instead of molasses because I’m in the South! 🙂
I’m with ya, Dorothy! I always go straight to the gingerbread this time of the year. I think it’s one of Santa’s favorite holiday desserts! 🙂 And sorghum…yes! Just yes!!
LOL! I totally thought back to the 80’s and my mom’s gingerbread when I saw this! I admit nothing about my age. This gingerbread is just so perfect and retro!
What is it about the 80’s and gingerbread? They just go so well together! Happy holiday baking, Rachelle! 🙂
So you are making me realize that I have never had a piece of gingerbread. I have had gingerbread cookies, but now I seriously feel like I have missed out. I am so excited to give this recipe a try!
Oh my gosh…go bake up some gingerbread today, Rachel! Or if not today, then at least sometime during the holidays. Promise? I love freshly baked gingerbread!
David, you might recently realized you haven’t shared a classic gingerbread recipe before while I’ve just realized I might have never tried it! I’ve had a cake and a lot of gingerbread cookies in my life (Perhaps, I even used to think all gingerbread comes in a shape of these men). And now I’m looking at this luscious bread, and I’m clearly realize that the rest of my day won’t be the same anymore. And I’m going to be your Santa this year. Just leave me a morsel of this bread (by a morsel I mean a two-pound morsel) and an opened door (cause it’s dangerous to use your chimney after stopping by).
So you’re apparently not the only one who hasn’t tried gingerbread, Ben. (Several people commented that they haven’t tried it.) It’s really quite delicious! If you agree to bring me a Santa-sized bag full of lavender AND come down my chimney, then I will gladly make you a 2-pound morsel of this bread. 🙂
Classic gingerbread .. I love it! my childhood fave was chocolate cake with lots of chocolate frosting . . I would lick my plate clean 🙂
Chocolate + chocolate is always a winner! It would be a hard choice between gingerbread and chocolate cake, though. Maybe just a small slice of both? That’s how I roll at the holidays!
There are so many crazy elaborate desserts around at the moment, but sometimes you just want something classic like gingerbread.
I LOVE Mario too. I have actually bought Dave the new Wii U with Mario Kart for Christmas – he is going to love it.
I’m with ya, Dannii! It’s fun to whip up something crazy for dessert…but I will always go back to the classics. Oh man, I was totally looking at the Wii U the other day in the store. The new Mario and Zelda games for it almost made me buy it! Post lots of pictures of Dave playing Mario Kart, mmmkay? 🙂
Perfect timing! I was thinking last night that I wanted to make Gingerbread and/or gingerbread cookies. Now I a recipe to use!
This gingerbread is legit, Sarah! Even Rich would like it…and we know how picky Rich is. 🙂 (Haha…just kidding!) Hope you guys are doing well. We stopped by GE the other day with little Robbie, but Rich was dealing with the well that had exploded. Happy holiday baking over there!!
If I were Santa, I would stop at your house first. Deliver the goodies for your sweet little man and stock up on these gingerbread men. Just saying…if I was Santa!
Hey…are you hinting at something here, Z? Are you really Santa?? OMG! It’s Santa!! 😉 I’m making you a ton of gingerbread now!
Oh wow!! Gingerbread, a perfect warm spicy dish. I would love to have a piece with a cup of hot coffee. I just love it 🙂 Thanks a lot for these wonderful recipe David 🙂
Thanks so much for commenting! I agree…gingerbread is such a classic dessert, and it wouldn’t be the holidays without at least one batch. And yes to the slice of gingerbread with a cup of hot coffee! Heck, I think I could eat that for breakfast! 🙂
Love reading that first paragraph about Nintendo, ahem, math homework. Hilarious!
This one looks so moist and around this house we are BIG gingerbread fans. Heck I just posted a gingersnap cookie recipe today!
Hey, there were always so many math problems to do. Can you blame me for wanting to play Nintendo instead?? This gingerbread is one of my favorites…it isn’t the holidays until the gingerbread comes out! 🙂
OMG! Gingerbread! I remember eating this when I was little! My grandmother used to bake this all the time, and I just loved it! I still didn’t jump on the eat-all-of-your-veggies-before-dessert train, though. That took twenty more years to happen. Thanks for sharing this, because the recipe got lost when she died twenty years ago. It looks amazing! It’s SO on now!
Thank you so much, Sandra! What a kind comment. 🙂 Gingerbread is indeed an “old-timey” type of recipe, but it’s one of my favorites, too. I’ve been known to break out a batch of this gingerbread in March…who says it has to be holidays to have gingerbread?? Happy baking, and I hope you have an awesome holiday season!
I absolutely love gingerbread! I remember having it when I was in elementary school. They always served it with a side of apple sauce. Memories. 🙂
Gingerbread with a side of apple sauce? Now that’s a new one to me! But hey, I’ll take gingerbread however I can get it! 🙂 Happy Holidays, Tamara!